Germany: castration only with painkillers
The use of painkillers around male piglet castration will be compulsory in Germany as from April 1, 2009. That was decided Wednesday in Berlin by the advisory committee on quality and security.
The painkillers are expected to contribute to the easing of the pains, caused by post-operative wound pains. For the German producers, this means that measures are practical, affordable and that they serve animal welfare convincingly.
The industry representatives in the committee applauded the decision as pig production might completely want to get rid of castration practices in the future. At the moment, the German producers do not see any practical alternatives – and for that reason they feel research should be coordinated. A coordination platform has therefore been erected, to find out how to eliminate the use of castration in the future.
These developments follow immense pressure from predominantly the Netherlands, but also in Germany many animal welfare organisations and retailers have started to urge for change.
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